US2644458A

US2644458A - Card sorting machine

Info

Publication number: US2644458A
Application number: US150509A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas F Meagher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-03-18
Filing date: 1950-03-18
Publication date: 1953-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1970-07-07

Description

July 7', 1953 T. F. MEAGHER 2,644,458

CARD soaTlN MACHINE V Original Filed March 17,' 1945 4 s heets-Sheet l July 7, 1953 T. F. MEAGHER CARD soRTING MACHINE original Fixied Mann 17, 1945 4 Sheets-*Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 771mm: Mu/faz ATTORNEYS.

T. F. MEAGHER lCARD soRTING MACHINE Original Filed March 17, 1945 July 7, 1953 l 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIE.7

F'IELE E R mm m N4h N EE R VM w WF. N M

Patentedy July 7, 19573 2,644,45&

l CARD soatrrNG MACHINE rhomas F. Meagher, West Ne'WtoiL'MassL i* Y minuao f application Serial No. $3,312. 'March 17 1945' "This application -Maroh 18,

1350,-seriaiNo.15o,5o9 l si,

` This applicationis a continuationoi 'myfapf plication for Card Sorting Machine, SerialNo. 583,312, filed March 17, 1945, now abandoned.

l Y' This `invention relatesmtoA card sorting andY 4selecting machines fornuse in sorting cards of the character Widely known as Ieysort cards kof the type which are illustrated and described in Letters Patentl of the United States No. 1,544,172. Y

' .It is the principal objectv of my present invention to. provide a generally improved "apparatuscapable ofreceiving cards of the characterrreferredto and of operation to expeditiously sort lcards disposed therein, which device is provided with a means for rapidly separating the Vcards being sortedV to facilitate the separation of the sorted-cards. Y

In practioingmy invention I 'provide a sorting tray forr holding the cards vWhichis provided with templates for receiving the sorting needles or rods. When the sorting needles or rods are in position, I have provided a Vmedium for directing a blast of air overthe edges of the cards Vso as to expedite separation of the cards during the sorting process.

The invention is exemplied in the following description and illustrated by Way of'example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation With part in'central longitudinal section through one form of apparatus embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end vievv thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the card sorting tray. l

Fig.- 5is a View in side elevation with parts in central longitudinal section through a second form of apparatus embodying my invention.'

Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof'. Fig. 7 is an end view thereof.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, l0 indicates an 'apparatus constructed inaccordance with my present invention.v This apparatus is a portable one and may cards of the type set forth in Letters Patent of' the United States No. 1,544,172.

' These cards are formed with a'plurality of perforations disposed adjacent the edge of the card Which may be separately slottedr out to the edge to indicate or represent a particular classification.- In direct sorting, as pointed out in said patent, those cards relating to a particular classie marais. (cricca-sien) `iication are separated u vstack by means of a sortingl rod or rods passed from the remainder ofthe through the perforations of a particular. classiiication. The rod orneedles retain those cards unslotted for this classification, While the cards f Aslotted to'represent the classification separate from the stack.

AIn sequence sorting,l as set forth in said patent, any number of cards in a stack may be placed y in numerical order, or other sequence, by passing the selector rod or needle successively through the y perforations in ka particular sequence, as set forth in the patent. Both direct and sequence sorting is well known and, therefore, Will not be described herein with any further particularity. I also desire to point out that edge punched cards of various types are in commercial use, and that my present apparatus is applicable to edge punched cards of variousltypes and its .use is not conned solely tothe particular type set forth in the aforesaid Letters Patent. u The present machine is capable of vreceiving a stack of cards` and direct or sequence sorting the same. The apparatus comprises a frame or base Il which, in this instance, is illustrated as a rectangular planar member. Supported by this base is a housing l2 which encloses a motor driven blower I4 of any preferredtype and design having an air inlet end l5 and a discharge connection I6. In the end of the housing adjacent the 'air inlet end the former is provided with a series of openings l1 through Which air is drawn into the housing and into the blower, when the blower is in operation. Intersecting the path of the air drawn into the housing and blower through the Vopenings l1 are Yheating elements I8 so as to in-l sure that the air deliveredto the blower willbe dry and heated. The housing I2'is preferably, but not necessarily, insulated for sound, as illustrated.

`In the form of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, there is disposed on the base ll', at a spaced distance fromy the end of the housing i2, a pair of xed upright supports i9 to -W-hich is pivoted a tray holder 20 at 29a so that the latter may oscllate in a vertical plane. The pivotal connections are, as illustrated, between the sides of the tray holder and the tray supports IB. As illustrated, the tray holder 20 is disposed betweenthe supports.

. For removably .fitting the tray holder, I provide a sorting tray 2 Ito receive a stack of cards. This tray comprises three parallel template plates 22 rigidly connected Aby a bottom plate 23 and an end plate 24.

'Ihe top and rear edge of the template plates are perforated or punched to correspond with the perforations or punchings in the cards to be sorted. Arranged above the rigid bottom plate 23 of the tray 2| I provide a removable bottom plate 23a which is of a length agreeing with the length of the cards to be sorted. This bottom plate is receivable through a slot 29h formed in tray holder and is slidably received in guides 23h formed in the sorting tray so that it may be removed just prior to the sorting operation. Plate 23a is formed with a slot 23a' in which the lowermost support I 9 (as the parts are depicted in Fig. 2) is accommodated when the plate is being inserted into the tray. The distance between the top of the templates 22 and the top of this removable bottom plate 23a is such that when cards are stacked on this removable plate 23a, their top and rear edges will precisely correspond with that of the templates so that sorting needles or rods 25 may be projected through the selected punchings or holes in the templates and cards for the purpose of sorting. That is to say, the sorting needles or rods 25 are projected through the templates and cards through the punchings correspending to the selected classications. Thereafter the removable bottom plate 23a may be removed so that those cards which are notched in register with the sorting rods or needles 25 may lower relative to the needles and deposit on the bottom plate 23,V disengaging from the needles or rods 25.

After this operation the tray holder 2i! may be moved about its pivotal point to an inclined position with its front end lowermcst, as shown in the drawings, so that the cards disengaged from the needles or rods 25 will slide down the tray toward the front edge thereofso that they may be removed.

I have found that in sorting stacks of cards, the cards have a tendency to adhere together so that some of the notched cards remain suspended as if unnotched. To make certain that all of the cards that are notched in register with the sorting needles or rods 25 will disengage from the remainder of the cards and drop downwardly in the tray for removal, I provide an air nozzle 26 which is connected by a rigid conduit 2l through a flexible conduit 28 to the discharge connection i5 of the blower l5. The rigid conduit 27 is guided in a guide member 29 on the frame for longitudinal movement transversely of the tray holder 2li. The nozzle 26 is downwardly directed and overlies the tray holder so that a blast of air can be directed downwardly between the cards to separate the same as the nozzle is moved transversely over the top of the stack of cards. The flexible connection 28 enables this movement of the rigid conduit 2l and the nozzle 2S. As the cards separate, they will descend and slide toward the front edge of the tray at a lower elevation than the cards held suspended from the needles or rods 25 and, therefore, be readily removed from the tray.

In the operation of the form of the invention shown in the figures just referred to, the sorting tray 2| is placed in the tray holder 2t with the cards stacked therein on the removable bottom plate 23a. rIhe sorting needles or rods 25 are then projected through the pun-chings or perforations indicating the selected classifications. These needles or rods 25 are, of course, projected through both the templates and the cards so that they will retain those cards in the stackV which are unnotched in register with the selected classilcations. The removable bottom plate 23a is then removed so that the cards which are notched in register with the sorting needles or rods 25 may drop from the sorting needles or rods 25 to the bottom plate 23 of the tray holder. The remaining cards, of course, will be held suspended in the sorting tray 2l on the sorting needles or rods 25. After the removable bottom plate 23a is removed, the air nozzle 26 is moved back and forth over the upper edges of the card stack to separate the selected cards from the remainder of the stack and permit the former to drop from the needles to the bottom of the tray. When the tray is inclined, the cards descend to the front end of the tray. When the cards are all separated in this fashion, those cards deposited at the front end of the tray holder may be removed.

In the form of the device shown in Figs, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, a pivotal tray holder is not employed. In this form of the device a rectangular cabinet 35 is substituted for the pivotal tray holder. This cabinet is provided with fixed templates 36 at opposite sides thereof which extend slightly above the open upper end of the cabinet. At the proper distance below the top of these templates is a slide 37 guided for sliding movement in the cabinet so as to form a removable bottom plate on which the cards may be stacked. Disposed in the cabinet beneath this slide is a drawer 38 mounted for sliding movement in the cabinet and removable therefrom, preferably in a direction at right angles to that of the slide 3l. It is intended that this drawer receive the cards separated from the stack being sorted. I prefer that the elevation of the slide 3l in the cabinet be such that when the cards are stacked thereon in the cabinet, that the cards will be slightly inclined, as illustrated, to aid in sorting.

In operation of the form of the device shown in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, the slide 3l is positioned in the cabinet and the cards are stacked thereon in such an oblique position that their punched edges will correspond with the punchings in the templates St. Sorting rods or needles 39 are then inserted through the templates and cards through the perforations representing the selected classifications. The slide 3'5 is then withdrawn from the cabinet 35, as illustrated, to permit the cards which are notched in register with the sorting needles or rods 39 to deposit in the drawer 38. This withdrawing action of the slide aids in separating the cards. The air nozzle 25 is moved back and forth transversely across the upper edge of the stack of cards to insure separation of all cards so that the notched or selected cards may be separated from the stach and will deposit in the drawer 38.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a card sorting device by means of which cards may be expeditiously7 separated, and while I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described,

a frame, a plurality of rigidly connected lateralf ly spaced templates carried by the frame, said templates being vertically disposed in lateral alignment and having holes formed therethrough complementary to and aligning with holes in a stack of cards to be disposed between the templates for sorting, 4a removable supporting means between the templates for supporting a stack of cards in proper register therewith, selector rods for engaging the holes of the templates and stack of cards so supported for the purposes Aoi sorting, said removable supporting means being removable from between the templates to enable selected cards to descend relative to the remainder of the stack, an air nozzle movable laterally across the top of a stack of cards disposed between the templates for directing air underv pressure therebetween, and means for delivering air under pressure to said nozzle.

2, In an apparatus of the character described, a frame, a plurality of rigidly connected laterally spaced templates carried by the frame, said templates being vertically disposed in lateral alignment and having holes formed therethrough complementary to and aligning with holes in a stack of cards to be disposed between the templates for sorting, a removable supporting means between the templates for supporting a stack of cards in proper register therewith, selector rods' for engaging the holes of the templates and stack of cards so supported for the purposes of sorting, said removable supporting means being removable frorn between the templates to enable selected cards to descend relative to the remainder of the stack, a blower carried by the frame, a nozzle connected to the blower, guide means carried by the frame and associated with the nozzle to enable the latter to be moved transversely over a stack of cards supported between the templates and direct air from the blower between the cards to separate the same.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame, a plurality of rigidly connected laterally spaced templates carried by the frame, said templates being vertically disposed in lateral alignment and having holes formed therethrough complementary to and aligning with holes in a stack of cards to be disposed therebetween for sorting, a removable bottom plate disposed between the templates for supporting a stack` of cards in proper registration therewith, said bottom plate being removable to enable selected cards to descend from the stack while the remainder of the cards are maintained suspended from selector rods penetrating through the holes in the templates and stack of cards, an air nozzle overlying the templates and movable transversely therebetween and thereover to direct an air blast against the upper edge of the cards to separate the same, a blower carried by the frame, a connection between the blower and said nozzle, and guiding means for said connection for guiding the said nozzle along its saidmovement.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising card selector means including spaced, vertical templates formed with holes to register with holes formed in a stack of cards disposed therebetween, a support member movable to and from a position providing bottom support for the stack of cards during insertion of sorting needles, said support member being movable to allow the selected cards to drop by gravity from the stack, and air-blast means for directing a blast of air over the top edges of the stack of cards to separate selected cards yand to cause them to drop from the stack, said air-blast means rcomprising a nozzle and a flexible connection allowing movement of the nozzle across the stack 0f cards.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising card selector means including spaced, vertical templates formed with holes to register with holes formed in a stack of cards disposed therebetween, a support member movable to and j from a position providing bottom support for the stack of cards Aduring insertion of sorting needles, said support member being movable to allow the selected cards to drop by gravity from the stack, and air-blast means for directing a blast of air over the top edges of the stack of cards to separate selected cards and to cause them to drop from the stack, said air-blast means comprising a nozzle and a flexible connection allowing movement of the nozzle across the stack of cards, said nozzle being in the form of a slit extending the width of the stack of cards. y

6. In a card sorting device a tray for the cards to be sorted, means for securing selected cards against movement in said tray, means for permitting movement of unselected cards, and means for separating selected and unselected cards comprising an air nozzle equal in width to the width of the cards to be sorted, a rigid air supply tube attached to said nozzle, and a guide for said tube slidably securing said tube for guided movement whereby said nozzle may be moved in a xed path longitudinally of said tray.

7 In a card sorting device, a tray for the cards to be sorted, means for securing selected cards against movement with respect to said tray, means for permitting movement of unselected cards with respect to said tray, means for separating selected and unselected cards comprising an air chamber, openings in said chamber for admission of air thereto, air heating means within said chamber, a blower within said chamber, an air nozzle mounted over said tray, and an air conduit from said blower to said nozzle, said nozzle being equal in width to the width of the cards to be sorted and being movably disposed over said tray to be moved longitudinally thereof.

8. In a card sorting device, a tray for the cards to be sorted, means for securing selected cards against movement with respect to said tray, means for permitting movement of unselected cards with respect to said tray, means for separating selected and unselected cards comprising an air chamber, openings in said chamber for 'admission of air thereto, air heating means within said chamber, a blower within said chamber, an air nozzle mounted over said tray, and an air conduit from said blower to said nozzle, said nozzle being equal in width to the width of the cards to be sorted and being movably disposed over said tray to be moved longitudinally thereof, a portion of said conduit being directly attached to the nozzle and being. rigid, and guide means for guiding said rigid portion for transverse movement of the nozzle over said tray in a fixed path.

THOMAS F. MEAGI-IER.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 584,311 Marvin June 8, 1897 1,498,966 Henderson June 24, 1924 1,499,209 Gaved June 24, 1924 1,662,669 Hallett Mar. 13, 1928 1,710,706 Maxner Apr. 30, 1929 2,098,158 ONeill Nov. 2, 1937 2,169,050 Johnson Aug. 8, 1939